Scottish big-wave surfer Ben Larg and British surfer Andrew “Cotty” Cotton began preparations for the European big-wave season Saturday during Red Bull Sessions at Lost Shore Surf Resort in Scotland.
Larg and Cotton, who finished third together at the 2025 Nazaré Big Wave Challenge, surfed alongside participants across six 30-minute sessions at Lost Shore. Surfers shared waves with the pair and received advice on their surfing.
Larg, a Lost Shore ambassador who grew up surfing on the Isle of Tiree, is preparing for another European big-wave season after making his Nazaré Big Wave Challenge debut alongside Cotton in February 2025.
“It was such a good atmosphere,” said Ben Larg. “Cotty and I are normally together when there are some pretty serious waves around, so it was nice to have a session where the focus was just on having fun, sharing waves and helping people push their surfing.
“When the Atlantic really gets going everything becomes a lot more serious for us, so this was a great way to get in the water together before that starts,” continued Larg. “To be able to do it here in Scotland and see everyone feeding off each other made it even better. There’s so much passion for surfing in Scotland. Hopefully nights like this get more people excited about surfing and show what’s possible.”
At the 2025 Nazaré Big Wave Challenge, Larg finished third in the men’s individual standings. Larg and Cotton also finished third in the team competition. The pair have continued to surf and train together, with Larg spending much of the winter chasing Atlantic swells and developing his big-wave surfing.
“There’s always that point towards the end of summer when you start thinking about what the Atlantic is going to do and what the season ahead might bring,” said Andrew “Cotty” Cotton. “Before all of that kicks off, this was just a really fun way to get in the water with Ben and lots of other surfers.
“What I love about Lost Shore is the amount of surfing you can get done. You know the waves are coming, so you can try something, make an adjustment and go again. For anyone who wants to progress, that repetition is so valuable. Ben and I have shared some pretty intense experiences in the water. He’s still incredibly young and has so much ahead of him. I’m looking forward to seeing what he does when the big-wave season gets going again.”
The event also included breathwork, mindfulness and mobility sessions, followed by an expression session. A barbecue and afterparty concluded the event.
Red Bull Sessions is among the surfing events held at Lost Shore since the inland surf destination opened outside Edinburgh in 2024.
“This is exactly the kind of event we want to see at Lost Shore,” said Lee Wood, managing director of Lost Shore Surf Resort. “You’ve got Ben and Cotty, two surfers who are comfortable taking on some of the biggest waves in the world, sharing the same line-up with people who simply want to progress and get more out of their surfing.
“One of the great things about having consistent waves is that you can try something, learn from it and go again. When you combine that with having surfers of Ben and Cotty’s experience in the water, it creates a pretty special environment for progression. Scotland already has an incredible surf culture and our ambition has never been to replace what happens in the ocean, it’s to add to it. We want Lost Shore to be a place where the surf community comes together, where people can progress and where some of the best surfers in the world want to come and surf. Red Bull Sessions captured that perfectly.”
